1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an ink-jet head used in a copy machine, a word processor, or a machine integrating these and to a printer provided with such an ink-jet head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an ink-jet head used in a printer mainly includes a head portion and an ink feeding portion. Further, the ink feeding portion usually refers to an ink cartridge or an ink tank.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram for illustrating an ink feeding passage of a conventional ink-jet head 7.
In the case of the ink cartridge, as shown in FIG. 1, the ink-jet head 7 includes a head portion 1, a pipe 2, an ink cartridge 3, an ink cartridge holder 4, an ink feeding path 5, and an adhesive 6 made up of a silicone rubber. The ink feeding passage is formed between the head portion 1 and the ink cartridge 3 by the pipe 2 and the ink feeding path 5. In other words, the pipe 2 has one end 2a thereof inserted into an aperture 5a of the ink feeding path 5 and sealed up by the adhesive 6. Another end 2b is connected to the head portion 1, and the ink feeding passage is thus formed.
The ink-jet head 7 is integrated by screwing together (not shown) a frame body la of the head portion 1 and the ink cartridge holder 4.
The conventional ink-jet head 7, however, suffers from the following disadvantages:
Firstly, the ink-jet head 7 has a difficulty in positioning of the parts thereof. If the parts cannot be positioned with accuracy during an assembling process, a stress, caused when the frame body 1a of the head portion 1 and the ink cartridge holder 4 are tightened by screws after the end 2a of the pipe 2 is positioned and sealed up in the aperture 5a of the ink feeding path 5, is applied to a sealed-up portion. Such a stress may also be caused when the installed ink-jet head 7 is used in a printer. As a result, the sealed-up portion may crack and ink leakage may occur.
Further, if the stress is applied sideward to the end portion 2a of the pipe 2, the other end portion 2b of the pipe 2 may be damaged, or an ink-storing member 8 that is integrated with the pipe 2 may be separated from a head segment 9.
Furthermore, using the adhesive 6 made up of the silicone rubber brings about another disadvantage that desiccation and solidification of the silicone-rubber adhesive 6 take much time.
In the case of the ink tank, on the other hand, the ink feeding path 5 is a flexible tube having one end thereof connected to the pipe 2. Unlike the ink-jet head 7 using the ink cartridge, this configuration of using the ink tank can avoid the inaccurate positioning of the parts. If, however, the flexible tube is subjected to extreme motion, a stress caused thereby is applied to the pipe 2, and similarly, the pipe 2 may be damaged or the ink-storing member 8 may be separated from the head segment 9. As a result, the leakage of the ink may occur.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet head and a printer using the same, in which the above disadvantages can be overcome.
Another and a more specific object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet head and a printer using the same, which can prevent pipes thereof through which ink is conveyed from being damaged and thereby can avoid ink leakage.
The above objects and other objects of the present invention are achieved by an ink-jet head comprising:
a head portion;
an ink feeding portion;
an ink feeding passage connecting the head portion and the ink feeding portion, the ink feeding passage comprising: an elastic ring member holding the ink feeding passage; and a rigid ring portion holding the elastic ring member; and
a fixing mechanism pressing the elastic ring members between the head portion and the ink feeding portion.
The above objects and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a printer having an ink-jet head, the ink-jet head comprising:
a head portion;
an ink feeding portion;
an ink feeding passage connecting the head portion and the ink feeding portion, the ink feeding passage comprising: an elastic ring member holding the ink feeding passage; and a rigid ring portion holding the elastic ring member; and
a fixing mechanism pressing the elastic ring members between the head portion and the ink feeding portion.
A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the invention and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment in which the principles of the invention are utilized.